Travel Western North Carolina

Motoring through the Mountains - 1930s: Dillsboro

This photograph of Dillsboro is dated May 21, 1939. In the far right of the picture, across Scotts Creek and the railroad track, is the Dillsboro Elementary School. Twin church spires are visible to the left of center. These were the Dillsboro Methodist Church (left) and Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church (right). The present Baptist church building, seen in this picture, was built 1937 – 1938. To the left of the two churches is the spire and roofline of the Masonic Lodge. The Masonic building was torn down in 1971. In the lower right is seen Cannon’s Cabins, now the home of Dogwood Crafters business. In the lower left corner of the picture is an Esso (now known as Exxon) filling station (see enlargement below). The road sign in the same corner reads “Highlands, N.C. – 40 mi.”

C.J. Harris, a prominent Jackson County entrepreneur, developed the Hog Rock kaolin mines, located some four miles southwest of the town, in the early 1890s and established his corporate headquarters at Dillsboro. By the early 1920s these kaolin deposits had depleted and Harris shifted his operation to new mines in Mitchell County, even though the main office remained in Dillsboro. In the meantime, Harris updated the basis of his other major Dillsboro operation, the Dillsboro & Sylva Electric Company. The Ruralite (Sylva, N.C.) reported on improvements in the operation of the company in its January 13, 1931, issue.